The Unpersuaded Heart
by Stumblefoot
Summary: The Great Freeze has become The Great Thaw. Peace has returned to Arendelle, and everyone believes that the Snow Queen has been healed. Everyone but Elsa. Conservatively rated T.
1. Chapter 1

He was yelling at her. Something about monsters.

Elsa tried to ignore him, focusing on the two men who had tried to kill her. One was pinned to the wall with a spike of ice getting closer and closer to his throat. The other was sliding close to the edge of the balcony in her castle, the railing broken and gone, nothing between him and a two hundred foot drop.

 _Good_. Her outstretched arms trembled as she let her magic flow through her and the delicate lines of her face wore an uncharacteristic snarl. _They followed me here. They wanted me to die. Never again. Never again._

She turned her head slightly and saw the man who was calling to her. He looked familiar. She had seem him somewhere. Where -

Hans. His name was Hans. Anna wanted to marry -

 _Anna_?

Through the rage pounding in her head and the ice surrounding her, Elsa tried to think. Hans was here. Did Anna bring him? Had she come back? If Anna was here, she could be hurt... she had to stop...

Elsa lowered her hands and took several deep, gasping breaths as she let the storm lessen, staring at Hans, working up the strength to ask where her sister was, to warn them both away. _You can marry her_ , she thought, _just keep her safe. Safe from me_.

Suddenly Hans' eyes widened and he sprinted across the room. She looked after him and saw one of the men - the one pinned to the wall - raising a crossbow. Pointing at her. And then somehow Hans was there in time, knocking the weapon upward...

It was suddenly so silent in the chamber that she could hear the faint **_tzing_** as the bolt sliced through the chains of the chandelier.

One glance upward and she knew it was too late, but Elsa tried anyway, gathering her skirts and trying to outrun the tons of ice plummeting toward her, feeling the push of the air against her back, the building roar as the chandelier fell, and finally the shockwave as it hit, lifting her up and slamming her against the unyielding floor.

It seemed to take forever for the noise to abate. Elsa lay where she had fallen, her head throbbing, nauseous with pain. Men milled around, voices echoed in the hall. Fear spurred her awake.

 _I have to get up. They want to kill me._

But she couldn't stir.

She heard footsteps. Hans knelt beside her. Through barely-open eyes he saw him staring searchingly at her. His expression was unreadable but the rough cotton of his gloved fingers was gentle enough as he touched her neck beneath her ear, feeling for a pulse. "Alive," he murmured, and glanced at her again before standing gracefully and announcing to his men, "She is alive. No harm must come to the queen." A new, darker note came into his voice as he added, "But no harm shall come to us, either. We must get her back to Arendelle."

Elsa still couldn't move, couldn't resist as two soldiers turned her over and tied her hands together with a short length of rope, then used a longer one to bind her hands to her chest, just over her heart. Even through the agony she understood: if she tried to use her powers, she would use them on her own body first, freezing herself.

 _If I even can_ , she thought hazily. _Would that happen? I would no longer be a danger_...

An image flashed in her mind from just a few hours before - had it been just a few hours? - She and Anna, standing on her balcony before it was ruined, talking, Anna reaching out to her, and Elsa turning away. The rhythmic ache in her skull made the image flicker and repeat: Anna reaching out, herself ignoring it, rejecting her sister, over and over again...

 _No_. A few tears of regret slid down her cheek. _I might die. Maybe I'm dying. But I will explain to Anna first. She has to understand. She has to_.

"Your majesty." One of the youngest soldiers was on his knees next to her, his words soft and tense. With an effort she opened her eyes wider and looked at him. She had been left on her side, her arms pinned, her knees drawn up. "I am to take you on my horse back to the castle. Your majesty -" he stopped and swallowed. "I swear I would not harm you for anything. Forgive me any hurt I might cause you."

For a minute she wanted to smile and reassure him as best she could through the sick dizziness, but she noticed that while there was sympathy in his expression there was fear, too. Almost terror.

Was he worried about hurting her, or was he afraid of her revenge?

She shut her eyes and bowed her head.

The soldier was as good as his word, sliding his arms carefully under her shoulders and knees and lifting her smoothly, but the room still spun as her head raised and fell back against his arm. It took a while to get her out of the castle, down the half-destroyed stairs, and on to the horse. The whole time she kept her eyes closed, bracing herself against the waves of queasiness that threatened every time she moved, refusing to respond to his frequent muttered apologies.

She struggled to stay conscious as they rode down the mountain, a cloak wrapped around her, the soldier sitting behind her holding her upright as carefully and politely as possible. But then his horse, spooked by something, shied and reared briefly. The jolt sent a bolt of lightning through her head, the pain making everything go white. Elsa gasped and fainted.

 _It smells dark._

 _How can it smell dark?_

Elsa half-opened her eyes. The air was stuffy and close, tinged with smoke and mold. Water dripped somewhere. It was warm in that underground way that felt like roots and earth. Two soldiers - the young rider and another one - had made a chair of their arms and were carrying her down a torchlit corridor. They stopped and Elsa heard someone ahead of them fumbling with a ring of keys.

She was too weak to struggle, much less run, but Elsa leaned her head against the young soldier's arm and stared at him, her blue eyes opaque with fatigue and betrayal, putting all the accusation she could into a cracked whisper. "Dungeon."

He looked down at her. He was lantern jawed and had a nose that was a little flat, like it had been broken at least once. His eyes and the shock of hair that showed under his cap were the same dark brown. He tried to smile reassuringly but all that came through was embarrassed determination. And the fear. "Your majesty, it's for your own sake. Until you can be cured."

The door in front of them creaked open as Elsa said weakly, "There's nothing wrong with me -" trying to break away as they brought her in and set her carefully down on a stone bench. One of the soldiers stepped away and drew his sword, holding it at her neck, while the young rider, his face scarlet, produced a knife and cut away the ropes that bound her. Other soldiers stood near the door, hands on sword hilts, tense.

Bleak light poured through a nearby window, lighting the cell enough so she could see what the young soldier was reaching for on the floor. Edging away, watching the sword fearfully, she repeated, "There's nothing wrong with me -"

He was on one knee in front of her, like a parody of a suitor, reaching out for her with one hand and holding the manacle and chain with the other. "Your majesty, please, it's for your own good -"

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Elsa tried to speak more strongly but her throat was dry and all that came out was a low rasp. "If you'd just leave me alone - please, just leave me alone -"

He stood swiftly to steady her before she fell, but to Elsa's panicked mind it looked like he was lunging toward her, ready to chain her. Bracing her hands against the bench she pushed herself backwards, intending to stand up and run, but the wall was too close and she banged her head against it, knocking herself half-unconscious. Vaguely she heard the soldier's voice again, heard the clinking of the restraints, felt the heavy fetters of iron and silver lock over her hands.

An anguished whine started in her head. _Now they've chained you, now you have no powers, but you're still locked in a room, they're going to leave you here, you're going to die alone alone alone alone alone ALONE ALONE ALONE ALONE -_

Elsa woke, screaming.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're having a bad dream. Wake up."

The manacles had disappeared but the soldier still had a firm grip on her hands. Elsa frantically pulled away. Why wouldn't he understand? "There's nothing wrong with me!"

"I know there isn't, Elsa! I've been telling you that for weeks. Come on..."

That wasn't the soldier's voice. He wouldn't dare to call her anything but Your Majesty. In fact, nobody said her name like that, with that lilt and that mixture of exasperation and affection, nobody since -

 _Mama_?

Elsa stopped struggling and looked up. The soldier was gone. Queen Idun sat beside her on the stone bench, holding her hands, smiling like she did before all the bad things started happening.

She could have cried from relief. Her parents had returned. They could be King and Queen again. She wouldn't have to do this anymore. "I thought you were dead," Elsa said, forcing the tears back. "I thought you were gone forever."

Her mother frowned. "Who's dead? Elsa, please wake up. You - you're scaring me."

Of course she was, Elsa thought bitterly. She scared everybody. She was a monster, wasn't she? Even her own parents, even her father with those damned gloves, even -

This isn't right. Else looked at her mother, stared at their clasped hands. Her ungloved hands.

She hadn't touched her mother since she was eight years old.

Reluctantly, Elsa met Idun's eyes. Her mother smiled sadly and shook her head.

 _ **"Elsa!"**_

Elsa tore herself out of the nightmare, blinking and waiting for a few minutes as everything swam into focus around her. The stone walls of her bedroom, the lightening sky through the window, and her sister a shape in the gray pre-dawn, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hands.

Anna half-smiled and said quietly, "Hey." She gently let go and, as Elsa sat up, reached past her for a stoneware mug that was on the night table. Handing it to Elsa, she said, "Tea and honey."

Elsa nodded, not trusting herself to speak yet. She took the mug and held it to her mouth, letting the tea trickle down her throat, soothing the raw feeling. She was having screaming nightmares almost every night and it was starting to tell in the huskiness of her voice as she swallowed and said, "I woke you up again."

Anna made a noncommittal sound. "I need to get up earlier anyway. Drink the tea."

"Not this early." Elsa took another sip of the tea and started as a chunk of ice bumped her lip. Looking around she saw the floor was slick and the light blanket covering her crinkled as it moved, stiff with rime. Even the sleeves of her nightgown were edged with frost. Not surprising considering the nightmare. But she had been holding Anna's hands... "I didn't - did I hurt you?"

Anna looked away and put her hands in the pockets of her heavy robe. "No, it's okay."

Anxiety made Elsa's response sharper than she intended. "Anna."

Sighing loudly, Anna took her hands out of her pockets and held them up for inspection. She looked guilty and defiant and a lot like the five-year-old Elsa remembered, especially with her auburn hair all tousled and the collar of her robe flipped up on one side. "It got a little cold, but it didn't hurt, Elsa, I swear." She wiggled her fingers. "Pinky swear, and I totally couldn't do that if you'd hurt me."

Elsa squinted. It was still mostly dark in the room, but Anna's fingers weren't stiff or swollen. She hadn't lashed out in the dream. But the fear of what she might have done was enough. "Anna, thank you for waking me up, but I've told you. Please, just shake me, yell at me, but don't risk yourself. I'm asleep, I'm not in control." She drained the mug and put it back on the night table. "And thank you for the tea."

"You're welcome." Anna took her hands again, ignoring Elsa's involuntary twitch. She still wasn't used to being touched. "Elsa, I know you won't hurt me."

"Anna," Elsa said with a tremble in her voice, "I killed you."

"And you brought me back." Anna shrugged as if that resolved everything. "And you're better now. I'm not worried."

Elsa let go of her sister's hands and crossed her arms, drawing her legs up and resting her chin on her knees. "No. I'm not better."

"You'll get better."

"When?" Anna wasn't used to hearing that edge of hopelessness and fear in her usually self-contained sister. "I'm starting to be scared of going to sleep. I keep remembering - things. When is it going to get better? It's been three weeks!"

"Do you want to tell me what you remem-"

"No."

Anna was quiet for a moment, picking her words carefully as she watched Elsa, concerned. The sun was almost up and the room mostly-lit; she could see Elsa's slumped shoulders and the dark smudges under her eyes. "Elsa.. it's only been three weeks. Before that it was thirteen years. It's going to take time. But I'm here. And Kristoff's here and Gerda and Kai and Olaf and everybody's here for you. You just need time."

Elsa closed her eyes. "I don't have time. I'm the queen. Arendelle is not going to wait for me to overcome this."

Hesitantly, Anna said, "The doctor said you might want laudanum..."

"No," Elsa said flatly, sitting up straight and opening her eyes, "I have too much responsibility to take something that would make me foolish. I can handle this." Her voice cracked a little. "I have to." She pushed the covers back, wincing at the crackling noises, and got out of bed. "Are you going back to sleep or shall I see you at breakfast?"

Confused by Elsa's abruptness, Anna stuttered, "Uh, breakfast, I guess?"

"Good." Elsa glanced in the mirror and frowned at the state of her hair. Muttering impatiently, she grabbed a hairbrush off the vanity table and started remaking her braid.

"Elsa -"

"I'm fine."

"Elsa -"

 _"I'm fine."_

Anna gave up. "I'll see you at breakfast." Gathering her robe around herself, she slipped off the bed and left, stepping into the still-gloomy hallway. Turning to go her room, she nearly tripped over Kristoff, who was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, drowsing, his legs stretched out.

Anna lightly kicked his foot, annoyed. "Were you eavesdropping?"

He removed his cap from where it was tilted over his eyes and smiled up at her. "Good morning to you too. No, I wasn't eavesdropping."

"Then what were you doing sitting here, outside my sister's bedroom, which by the way is _completely weird_ -"

"I am here," he interrupted her with heavy patience, "Because I know Elsa has been having nightmares, and I know you've been waking her up, and I know neither one of you is getting any sleep, and I wanted to see if I could help. And you haven't been talking to anybody about it." He patted the floor beside him. "So here I am. Sit down and let me hold you. You look cold."

Anna got down on the floor beside him and Krisoff put his arm around her. He smelled like pine and outdoors and reindeer, and he was wonderfully warm after Elsa's freezing bedroom. "Where were you sleeping? I know you haven't been here all night."

Kristoff pointed down the hallway. "One of the libraries. I woke up when you went running down the hall, and when you didn't come back in a few minutes I followed you here to wait. Talk to me."

Anna relaxed as she leaned into him and he gently rubbed her back. "It was awful. She was screaming about how there was nothing wrong with her and then something about someone being dead and then she woke up and it was okay for a minute and then - I don't know. She kind of threw me out."

Kristoff shifted a little. "Who's dead?"

"I didn't ask. I didn't want to make it worse." Anna felt tears gathering. "I don't know what to do," she said, keeping her voice down, but wanting to howl with frustration, "I want to help but she won't let me. I don't even think she's talked to anybody about what exactly happened. I mean, we sort of know, but we don't know everything."

Kristoff was silent, thinking. Anna almost fell asleep as she rested against him. He absently stroked little circles into the tense knots in her shoulder as he pondered. "The big question," he said at last, "is this. Do you think Elsa can handle this by herself?"

Anna was instantly awake. "No!" Indignantly, she sat up, "That's _way_ too much to expect of anybody, and if you possibly think -"

"No, I don't," Kristoff said. "But I had to ask." He made a face. "We're going to have to do something I hate." He stood up and, offering a hand, easily lifted Anna to her feet. "But it can wait until after breakfast. I'm going to nap for an hour in the library and then take care of Sven. I'll meet you for coffee." He started down the hallway.

"But what are we going to do?"

Kristoff turned to look back at her. "You wouldn't know this because you're a princess and you live in a castle. I wish I didn't know it." He grimaced slightly and shook his head. "People gossip. There are probably ten thousand stories about Elsa being told every day right here in the castle. We just have to figure out which ones are true."


End file.
